WHY T.O HAD TO G.O.

Fans are so fickle. For months, all you heard on call-in shows was how Terrell Owens was a cancer that had to be cut out of the Dallas Cowboys' organization. All indicators seemed to point to Jerry Jones ignoring all of the signs, however, and keeping the cancer in the body. Cutting it out, after all, would be costly, in light of the ridiculous extension given to The Player (thank you, Big Bill for that nickname) last year.

Jones did the unexpected and cut T.O. He sent him packing with the obligatory "thanks for all you've done" horse crap. There ought to have been dancing in the streets. The cancer was cut out and now all that remained was a little chemotherapy to kill whatever residue it left behind (a few players were definitely infected).

Instead, the local sports radio hosts were bombarded with calls from angry fans. They just couldn't see how the Cowboys could justify releasing their most productive offensive player! How could someone that good be that bad for a team?

Apparently, they had forgotten all of the junior high drama, the insidious comments, the undermining, the divisive and incendiary proclamations, and the general negative effect on the team. KTCK's Gordon Keith, a non-sports genius on an all-sports station, pegged T.O. when he called him a "zero sum" player, meaning T.O. takes as much as he gives. Sure, he shines on the field (at times: remember his hands often resemble frying pans and balls clang off of them with some regularity), but on the sideline, in front of the cameras, in Jerry's office, and other sundry places (hello, Deion), T.O. takes and takes and takes...he drains the team dry. Zero sum, in fact, may be a generous assessment of the knuckleheaded football freak.
T.O. had to go because...

1. He burned the bridge of respect and comaraderie with his QB;



2. He called out the offensive coordinator and did irreparable damage to that relationship;



3. He created what amounted to racial strife, accusing Romo of favoring the only white receiver in the corps...and bending the ears of the other receivers (or, sheep, if you will);



4. He proved that he was what we thought he was...a destructive force and now a three-time loser.

T.O. in Buffalo is perfect. They are a second-tier team in a small market, struggling to survive. The circus Owens brings with him will liven that place right up. Good luck, Bills fans. Better you than us.

Goodbye and good riddance, T.O. No tears, please.

Jerry Jones is No Jackass

For years, Jerry Jones has been the favorite whipping post of some of Dallas' most iconic sports media. Randy Galloway, the half-sober, deep-voiced columnist and radio personality has worked overtime to paint Jones as a bumbling idiot. Dale Hansen, the egomaniacal sports anchor for the local ABC affiliate, can barely hide his hatred of the Cowboys' owner (and I am sure it has nothing whatever to do with Jones firing him as the Cowboys' radio network color analyst.)



Certainly, Jones brings much of the criticism on himself. He isn't the best-spoken individual. In fact, he may be among the worst. His public speeches and interviews are usually laced with misspeaks, butchered words, and nonsensical ramblings. In that regard, Jones is sort of like our much-maligned president. People assume he is a dummy because he stumbles over his words so much. (Not really sure how many self-made "dumb" billionaires there are in the world, though.)

So Jerry gets criticism from every corner but one. You never here current or former players go off on him. You never hear them talk about how he sucks as a general manager or as an owner. And you sure never hear them say he is unfair in his dealings with them. Why would they? From Troy Aikman to Emmitt Smith to Tony Romo, Jerry has proven that he will loosen the purse strings and pay market value or better to the men who make his organization go.

Jerry got it right with Romo. He waited to see if last season's production was an aberration, but he didn't wait too long. He didn't use the incredible leverage he possessed in the form of a franchise player tag. He didn't let negotiations drag on and become a distraction to the team or a sore spot for Tony. Nope! Jerry ponied up. He always does. Now it is up to the sixty-million dollar kid with the hundred-million dollar grin to prove he's worth it.

Hey, I am not saying Jerry is above criticism. Heck, I will find more than ample opportunity to do just that myself. I am just saying that, contrary to Tweedle Dee (Dale Hansen) and Tweedle Dumb (Randy Galloway), Jerry is neither a dumbass (that would be Galloway) nor a jackass (Hansen).